The grandest dockyards of Tull stood. Drydock against drydock, all bearing the towering steel skeletons of vessels waiting to be armoured and made whole. Each one a huge warehouse to safeguard from the dreary Allian rain and allow construction to go on every hour of the day. Inside, the sun never set on the work. Bright lamps quietly hummed, fashioned into the ceiling and onto the walls or just on top of poles as trucks brought metal beams. And outside, the city was ablaze with life and industry every moment of the day. Cranes were still working to scar the ground with even more urban city blocks. Buses and cars and trams never rested as they ferried countless workers in their overalls to the dockyards and back to their homes like blood spreading oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and back again. From the rest of the country, trains and trucks brought in barrels and cogs, lamps and electronics, welding rods and food. Everything that Tull needed to sustain itself.

And in the centre of those dockyards stood Tull’s two greatest facilities. Long enough to be a skyscraper on its side, topped with statues of Imperial Eagles, of Goddess Aliana of Allia and of Goddess Victoria, the city spirit of Tull that had incarnated only a month ago. Tull had been the Empire’s gift to Allia and these two buildings were Allia’s back to the Empire. It seemed only right that the grandest port in all the Empire should have the grandest yards.

Inside it was only blistering heat and simmering air, flashes of light and a stink of burning metal. Sulphurous fumes were under a constant barrage of cool air from the massive fans which had been checkerboarded through the walls. Magicians in the royal reds of the National College of Allia were on constant deployment as they held the mighty slabs of metal whilst workers on cranes or fastened onto ropes welded them into place. Ropes hung from the ceiling as engines were slowly lowered into position, directed by men in overalls waving lamps which flashed from red to green. Every part was new, from the bulbous engines that were miniaturized nuclear reactors to the bodies of the huge cogs that turned the turrets.

Nothing less would suffice for the flagship of the Imperial Navy.

Tomorrow, Aliana would arrive to give everyone the good news. The Imperial Bureau of War, of Culture and of Divine Affairs had all finally agreed and bestowed them the name they had sought:

Goddess-Class.

“Captain. Captain. Wake up. Captain Allson!” Captain James slowly came to life as his body fought off the fatigue of waking up. The small squad he had stolen from the vanguard of the Second Expedition had pulled their weight. They had broken every speed limit and every regulation on the mad dash back, every single day they were stopped at least half a dozen times although a flash of Fer’s seal had always gotten them out of trouble, to the closest Hole. That was Viamore in southern Rilia, it was not even a Hold-Hole, instead being one of the few that had been dug by Arcadian mages specifically to ease the supply distance and the logistical strain.

Now, all that separated him and the surface was the straight, inclining road that would be another day of travel time. That and the Viamore checkpoint. James looked around as he looked at the makeshift military camp set up here. Everyone had long since worked out that the Imperial War had travelled underground. It was impossible to hide after all when supply lines to feed an army of millions had been set up.

Captain James blinked the light in and out of his eyes as he felt his lower spine scream out in exhausted pain. Sleeping in one of the Antelopes, the small vehicles that the reconnaissance, was a pain on the spine. He awoke to see both the driver and his replacement turn around to look at the Captain in the back. “Captain?” Jan said. A Norsk man, although James had not been particularly picky. He had just chosen a pair of scouts that were closest by. It needed to be two, they did not have the time for the driver to be taking sleep-breaks. “Are you awake?”

“I’m awake.” James replied groggily. “Thank you.” The two men pursed their lips and let James get to waking up. In the back of the Antelope, James yawned and slapped his cheeks. These past five hours had been the most sleep he had gotten in the past ten day-dash and it was only brought on by exhaustion. “Thank you. Thank you.” He said absentmindedly again as he patted down his black coat and checked for everything. His little green book, which every soldier of the Empire had, was in his inside pocket. Fer’s seal too. Officer’s pistol on his belt. The spare rounds must have fallen out of his pocket.

James blinked to attention and looked down at the floor of the Antelope. Small rounds rolled around on the rubber carpets he stood on and a few more were on the rubber seat by his side. He thought of picking them up, leaned down and felt the sharp edge of Fer’s seal press against him. No time. Fuck them.

“Thank you men.” James said one last time, fully awake finally, his voice clear and commanding as every officer’s should be. “I’ll commend you for your service. That is all.” And with that, James opened the door to the antelope and finally stepped out. He slammed it shut and gazed forwards at the Viamore checkpoint.

It was the first time James had ever seen the Viamore checkpoint and any checkpoint for that matter. When the Second Expedition had been sent to the underground, they had arrived before the checkpoints had started construction. With how impossible it was to get any information out of here, James had always considered these structures to be massive walls or something akin to the gates that stretched from the floor to the ceiling of the tunnels like the entrances to dwarven Holds.

It was nothing of the like, instead, it was just a line of wire mesh fencing around which a few guards with rifles patrolled. There was a small series of tents that made up something resembling an entrance to a minor checkpoint and then a section completely fenced off. Lit up by the headlights of vehicles and massive spotlights pointed upwards to cast light that bounced a pale grey ambience everywhere. Currently, men were working there to unload trucks. On both sides of the gate, there were lines of more cargo vehicles. Their drivers were waiting outside, conglomerated into small groups as they quietly chatted with each other. Others were sleeping in their trucks, a few had their windows open and were playing different songs. They kept distance from the guards and the guards kept distance from them although it was obvious that everyone here was used to the proceedings.

Everyone except James. Where should he go exactly? He supposed it would be to the small section of tents that looked like an officer quarters. He managed about ten steps from the antelope before the guards turned to him. Another ten before they started questioning looks with each other. And then another ten before one man approached him. A soldier in the grey uniform of the Second Expedition, a rifle slung across his back and a blue band on his arm to signify his status as military police. “Sir.” The guard began. “This is a restricted area.”

Maybe in some other world, James would try to argue with the man or sneak his way through. He had no intention of doing that today. There was no excitement here, there was no reason to create problems where none existed. He just explained himself as he brought out Fer’s seal. “I need to speak to your superior.” The man looked at him as if he was stupid. That ended when James brought out Fer’s seal.

If there was ever a time to describe a man’s eyes as bulging, it was then. The guard seemed stunned. “Is that real?” He asked.

“It’s real.” James replied. “Take me to your superior.”

“At once sir.” And that was how it went. The man spun on the spot and guided James to the tent. “Your name sir.”

A few of the other guards and some of the truckers were watching in curiosity but no one so much as made a questioning shout, much less come to intervene. “James Allson, Captain.”

“Pleasure to meet you Captain.” The guard replied. “Private Timothy Miram, it’s rare to see Allians down here.”

“We’re near the front.” James replied as Timothy stepped to the side and held open the piece of grey fabric that served as the door to the officer’s tent.

“Captain Allson requests audience.” Timothy shouted, interrupting whatever conversation was going on inside. As disrespectful as it may have seemed, some units operated like this. Better an interruption than an unnoticed wanderer stepping in to listen.

Immediately, everyone turned to look at James as he stepped in. Timothy let the cloth fall behind and returned to his point as the newcomer saluted. “Captain James Allson.” He spoke.

What must have been the highest ranking member of the Viamore checkpoint returned the salute. A shorter man, but still fit and lean. Shaved cleanly on top of his and on his chin. They had all been sitting and playing cards around a table to pass the time. A few were dealing with papers that were swiftly moved out of sight but other than that, it was sparse in here. There weren’t even floors, instead it was just the smoothed stone that ever-present in Dwarven Highways. Lamps were crowded into every corner. “Major Antoine De Limoire.” He said. “What is it you require Captain?”

No point for small talk and no point for trying to sneak his way through. James simply dropped what he needed to do. Everyone would appreciate the forwardness. “I have to leave.” He was met with confused gazes questioning his sanity. A few men looked at the pistol on his belt, another few reached for the own pre-emptively.

Antoine spoke to try and calm the tension in the tent. “Captain, I think you as an officer must understand that we-“

“We don’t have time for this.” James interrupted the man as his hand disappeared within his coat and reappeared with Fer’s seal. He slammed the golden circle complete with a skullish-looking ram’s head onto the table. The thin aluminium dented under the gold. And as if gold had a temperature, everyone’s mood seemed to cool down for a moment. Antoine especially did not look happy with the situation.

“Is that real?” He asked slowly.

“Inspect it yourself.”

“Get the rulebook.” Antoine commanded one of the other officers, one of the men immediately turned and raced out of the tent, the fabric door only swaying in the cold still air as he left. “I’ve never seen this before Captain.” The tone had changed now. James was not the sort to demand respect, but he could not deny that the change in atmosphere was unappreciated. Where before, they had circled around him like wolves circling a sheep, now, he was the lone wolf of sheep.

“Neither have I.” James replied, his voice polite. No reason to argue with other soldiers. Frankly, he understood their apprehension. They had procedures just as he had procedures, but that did not mean he could not hurry them along. “But it is urgent. Any moment of delay is a threat to the stability of the Empire.”

“We understand.”

“I’ll need a vehicle too.” James said. “And a pair of drivers. We can’t afford to take breaks.”

“Of course, of course.” Antoine said. He turned to one of the other men. “You heard him! Get some men! Get a car! I don’t care what! Treat it as Fer’s request!”

They did not wait long. The room silently stared at Fer’s seal as James felt a mounting apprehension to explain himself. He knew he shouldn’t though. It was part of doctrine, there was no reason for them to know and if they knew, the only thing that could happen would be panic spreading. It was just the same as when Kassandora operated on a need-to-know basis. If information was not directly applicable to a situation, then it better be left unsaid. Soon enough though, the apprehension was broken.

The man Antoine had sent off returned with an officer behind him. An officer in a black uniform that immediately made the entire room colder. In a black cap and a long coat, he looked nothing like the

‘“Special Imperial Service Agent Kosk.” The man said. “Good to meet you, I’ve gotten the call that my services were needed.” Kosk spread his arms out, his smile viperish. Of course it would be the SIS, they were there whenever there was trouble. James had even heard rumours that they had been in Rancais during the Anarchian Civil War. He offered his hand. James supposed he should take it. Both men had a strong grip.

“Captain Allson requests entry to the outside.” Antoine said as James narrowed his eyes at the SIS man. The man smiled back at him.

“Captain Allson.” Agent Kosk said. “I think we all know how this works here. There’s no entry or exit without exceptional circumstances.”

“I have one.” James tapped the seal on the table as the man who had ran off slammed down a copy of Imperial Rules & Regulations. It was a condensed version, although Kassandora did not demand her troops be scholars. Nevertheless, the important information was in the first chapter. Everyone knew it, it was one of the easiest chapters to learn and one they weren’t even tested on. The knowledge was assumed.

Agent Kosk’s eyebrows rose as he looked at the seal as the officer to his side quickly skimmed through the first pages. “Is this real?” Kosk asked.

“It is Goddess Fer’s seal.” James replied.

“I meant is it not stolen? Not a fake?” Kosk asked.

“Have you met her?” James asked.

“I have!” One of the men spoke up and raised his hand, although he was quickly silenced by Antoine waving his hand down. Kosk just shook head.

“I know of her.” Kosk said slowly. Even the SIS Agent’s demeanour seemed to cool when in the presence of that seal. “Apologies Captain, is it real.”

“Here.” The man with the book tapped a piece of paper. It was a page with a dozen pictures of different seals, Malam’s, Kavaa’s, Helenna’s, Neneria’s and then, in the very middle, Fer’s. All taken with a picture from the back and another from the back. They all looked at the picture of Fer’s seal with all its labels that described the various elements. The ram’s horns with their seven rings each. The skeleton structure. Even a line describing how large the nostrils were in proportion to the rest of the face and the exact measurements of the teeth. And then on the back was a similar diagram bar, there was even a label were Fer herself had made a scratch.

“May I?” Kosk asked, he extended his arm out to the seal and then stopped just before touching it.

“Go ahead.” James replied. It was almost odd to be on the other side of the authority a Divine wielded.

Kosk carefully flipped the seal as if he was handling his own child. The scratch was there. The scratch and the fact gem with all its contours and angles described in the book. The entire room shared sombre looks. “How serious is it?” Kosk asked.

“It’s serious.” James replied. “I have to get the message to Goddess Kassandora.”

Kosk slowly handed the seal back. His voice trembled as if it was in disbelief as to what he was saying. “Go.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep